ONE million pounds and falling. With his 16th and 17th goals since his £15 million world record transfer in August, the price every time Alan Shearer hits the back of, the net in a black and white shirt continues to reduce. By the end of his four year contract we will not be talking pennies, but the sum for each goal might just fit in an envelope.

The barrier almost certainly presented no psychological problem for this most hard headed of individuals but if it did Shearer has broken it now. If he keeps it up, and there is no indication that he won't, Sir John Hall, Kevin Keegan, and the fans money they spend, may start to call Shearer a bargain.

After his stunning opener on Saturday, Shearer got back into the it groove after only five minutes here and again he provided us with a classic finish.

When Ferdinand leapt above Wetherall to nod on a Beardsley corner the danger to Martyn's goal looked minimal. However, the ball fell on to the right boot of Shearer 16 yards out and his volley was in the back of the Leeds net immediately.

But if people took that as the signal to expect a deluge similar to the Tottenham game they were misled. Not until the last 15 minutes did Newcastle regain the hungry swagger of earlier. Thus their performance had a fine beginning, an exciting end but in between it was something of a muddle.

Without ever wishing to criticise the great Rush, had he been the player of 10 years ago, Leeds might have exploited Newcastle's perplexing spell between the quality.

Three times in the space of seven second half minutes Rush had good opportunities to score but headed the first straight at Hislop when unmarked six yards out. Rush then headed a second into the back of Watson and then stalled a fraction before striking a shot from a Deane flick on. The delay allowed Albert to slide in a decisive foot and block the shot.

And that was that for Leeds. And for Rush who was promptly replaced. Albert owed his teammates a big tackle as the previous minute it had been his reckless lunge that gave Deane the space to cross to Rush. Mark Lawrenson's greatest achievement will be the eradication of such lapses - Peacock had his dodgy moments, too.

It took a moment of perceived injustice to spark a reignition. A quarter of an hour remained when Ferdinand again glanced on a long pass from Watson. Shearer latched on to it and, one on one with Martyn, rounded the goalkeeper. There followed, as they say, a collision on the edge of the box, Shearer crumpled but to his and everybody else's amazement referee Paul Danson waved play on.

Beresford complained so much that he was booked but the incident at least roused the stadium which, hitherto, was as quiet as the falling snow.

Just over a minute later, from another Beardsley corner, Ferdinand again headed down for Shearer to swoop. With his back to goal Shearer swivelled and shot but the ball needed a deflection off Palmer's heel before spinning over the prostrate Martyn.

Ten minutes later Lee twisted and turned and sent in a cross that Ferdinand, charging in, barged in to the net - it was a carbon copy of his second goal last Saturday.